We already have efficient education and health systems, clean air, fresh water. Queenslanders have potential and energy aplenty. So why is our state government determined to enthusiastically undermine hope, retard progress and leave us fear and punishment in their place?

Today, less than 12 months before we host the G20, we are faced with a stark choice about the future of our state and our standing in the world.

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Will we allow Newman to lead us to shame before the G20, United Nations and the International Labour Organisation, with his unprecedented attack on freedoms in our community that fly in the face of our freedoms and international human rights laws?

The Queensland Peoples Rights Action Coalition brings together the most eminent social and political commentators and activist groups to uphold the rights and freedoms of all Queenslanders.

Today, on the 63rd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, will the international community condemn Queensland and Australia to the embarrassing human rights enclaves inhabited by serial abusers like North Korea, Syria and Iran?

From extinguishing bargaining rights to attacking a workers’ compensation system proven to deliver, Newman’s workplace legislation violates international labour laws. And stand to undo everything we’ve earned for a sustainable, prosperous and equitable future.

It’s a government that manufactures a crisis – the debt crisis, the bikie crisis – and then imposes a draconian solution, such as a commission of audit or repressive legislation, to address the ‘problem’.

This Orwellian drum beat of war out of state government reveals its philosophy about your freedoms and how it will treat them.

Double speak like “anti-bikie laws” does nothing to cover the true intent of these policies.

Premier Campbell Newman and his ministers regularly assure Queenslanders that if they are law-abiding citizens they “have nothing to fear” while the Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie admits to introducing “extreme” laws to accomplish party policy with no real public discussion.

Catch-phrases such as “getting back on track” and “law and order” sound great until you realise it actually means removal of your rights as a citizen.

The Newman Government recently introduced far-reaching and damaging changes to workers’ compensation. These strip away the rights of many employees to claim damages suffered in unsafe workplaces. It is a fundamental attack on your right to sue a negligent employer.

There is also danger looming for the instruments that guard and monitor the integrity of government.

Premier Newman spelt it out clearly when he announced how the judiciary should utilise his new freedom of association laws: “What we now need to see is those in the legal system to start to realise ... they need to act accordingly.”

These unprecedented attacks on our independent judiciary and separation of powers have rung the alarm bells of respected figures such as Tony Fitzgerald.

Separation of powers and due process are fundamental to our liberties. The judiciary does not form part of the scrum with the Executive and the Parliament. They are referees. They are there to ensure justice and apply the rule of law.

Judges are not, and should not be, immune to criticism. But the criticisms by the Premier of the judiciary have the capacity to undermine public confidence in the judicial process and the rule of law.

All this is against the backdrop of an elected government which has an overwhelming majority in the Parliament.

When a parliamentary committee does disagree with the Newman Government its report is ignored – as with the inquiry into workers’ compensation - or the committee is simply sacked.

Queenslanders have been in this place before. The remedy against unchecked power requires vigilance by the legal profession, the judiciary, unions and the community.

We are returning to the embarrassing days. There will be untold damage to our international reputation.

Already overseas health professionals are warning of difficulties with employment law in Queensland. Not only will professionals avoid Queensland, our best and brightest will simply move away, as they did in the 70s and 80s.

Do not expect the Newman Government to stand back and assess what it has done to the rights of Queenslanders. This is a Government and Premier that cannot accept criticism or an alternative point of view.

But the parliament is the people’s house, not the Newman Government’s plaything.

It will fall on ordinary Queenslanders to push away the cloak of fear and let in the light.

They will do this through attending rallies, writing letters, campaigning on social media, advocating to international forums and just plain speaking up for a fair go.

Hope will not be stilled by fear.

* The Queensland People’s Rights Action Coalition consisting of citizens and groups, such as the Queensland Council of Unions, the Australian Lawyers Alliance, the Queensland Council of Civil Liberties, ethicists, prisoner advocates and legal educators.

21 comments

But confrontation and fear is stock-in-trade for our dear Premier. You need only take a brief look at his reign at BCC to know that.

Loads of managers 'removed' for disagreeing or not being seen to be proactive enough or not towing the hardline rationalist 'greater efficiency' mantra of Newman. Left a dreadful culture of fear and loathing. And sent the organisation broke.

Commenter

Darth Vader

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

December 10, 2013, 3:21PM

It's the G20 laws which worry me. I don't doubt there will be anarchist groups who will try to disrupt proceedings in 2015 however….there are sufficient laws in place to deal with affray, rioting etc without new legislation.

This punitive coercive and punishing legislation for the G20 is being implemented all over the world. It's a one world government thing imposed by an elite freemason group at the top.

The owners of the major banking, media, energy, pharmaceutical, shipping, finance and food production corporations. Increasingly politicians, the judiciary, police and military leaders are becoming 'owned' by these elites. Such legislation is ultimately designed to enable topdown control of populations at the behest of these elites, implemented by their underlings in positions of power and control. Eyes Wide Shut anyone?

Commenter

Darth Vader & The Freemasons Music Group

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

December 10, 2013, 3:29PM

Likely to be red faces for Newman Govt, both in the High Court and on the international arena if it maintains its legislative agenda. It's cutting rights and asking questions later. Hope this community coalition can really develop some momentum and push back against these changes.

Commenter

Brett Young

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

December 10, 2013, 4:17PM

Unfortunately under Queensland law supreme power is vested in the person of the Premier and the Executive makes the rules of court. There is no separation of powers.This article explains how Queensland is now a virtual dictatorship.http://peopleofthecommonwealth.blogspot.com.au/2009/12/who-makes-rules-in-for-queensland.html

Commenter

alex1101

Location

brisbane

Date and time

December 11, 2013, 7:41AM

Lead with fear, arrogance and contempt and society will follow, some will fight but they already have VLAD laws to silence that. We are heading very dangerous directions.

Commenter

Jamie Stacy

Date and time

December 10, 2013, 10:14PM

By itself this is a very dangerous government, coupled with a dysfunctional and complicit media the outcome could well become Orwellian. This is not the Australia we once were, this is not the Australia we want to be nor the Australia our parents and grandparents fought and gave their lies to protect.

Many good people will oppose the erosion of our freedoms to the best of their abilities.

For others who have until now supported the LNP government its time now to put aside your partisan political views and consider what it was not so long ago that we condemned and fought against in the communist USSR. The examples of the tyranny of communism we were appalled at were the lack of individual rights, the restrictions on public gatherings, trial without the presumption of innocence, compulsion to give evidence and the removal of all right to appeal is this really what you want for our great nation?

Commenter

Neville Bott

Location

Wollongong

Date and time

December 10, 2013, 11:02PM

What sort of ramble was this? I can see this group is upset, but couldn't figure out what had their goat for paragraphs. The one possible fair debating point was almost submerged by the typical far left ranting exaggeragtions and myths. And doesn't bother even attempting to suggest alternatives or compromise on the undeniable cause of organized crime by bike gangs.P.S.: Qld does have a debt crisis. Thats a big reason why the last labor government was hurled out. You have to respect democracy more. Rather than raving about Qld being north Korea while trying to address organized crime. I look forward with equal amusement to seeing equal space being given to some far right silliness here.... And no, that's not Newman or Abbott, luvvies. They're the elected, large majority centre-right.

Commenter

Wayne

Location

Sydney

Date and time

December 11, 2013, 6:39AM

I lived through the Bjelke-Petersen era and don't want my kids and grandkids to go through the same. I will be doing everything I can to get rid of the current lot of rednecks at every level of government. I'd rather an incompetent government to a corrupt one any day that lets me productively fairly and equitably contribute to the economy than waste my time on getting rid a bunch of dangerous misguided ideological morons.